Sal De Riso’s chiacchiere are Carnival desserts that you absolutely must try. Chiacchiere, along with fritters and castagnole, symbolize Carnival and cannot be missed during this festive period.
In particular, Sal De Riso’s chiacchiere are crunchy, crumbly, and full of bubbles, but above all they are very fragrant. In his recipe, Sal De Riso uses not only vanilla bean, but also lemon and orange peel and a pinch of cinnamon. You will get a truly aromatic and pleasant dessert for the palate.
Preparing these delicious and bubbly chiacchiere is not very difficult. Classic tips apply on how to make a perfect fry, but in particular, regarding the preparation of this fried dessert, you need to pay special attention to using quality ingredients and a liquor (be it Marsala, limoncello, white wine, grappa, or Strega), which greatly helps in the formation of bubbles.
As for the dough, it is good to work it for a long time, let it rest to relax the gluten and roll it as thin as possible. I always recommend using a pasta machine because it allows you to work the dough better and create a thin sheet. With a rolling pin, in my opinion, you do not get the same result.
Good, now let’s move on to the recipe and see how to prepare these delicious Salvatore De Riso’s chiacchiere. But first, I’ll leave you some other recipe links that might interest you.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6People
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
Ingredients for Sal De Riso’s Chiacchiere
- 4 cups Manitoba flour (at least 240 W)
- 7 tbsp butter
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 5 tbsp dry white wine (Marsala or other – about a shot glass)
- 3.5 oz eggs (about 3 medium eggs)
- as needed lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)
- as needed orange zest (zest of 1 orange)
- as needed ground cinnamon (about 2 grams – half a teaspoon)
- 1 bean vanilla (or vanilla extract or vanillin)
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed peanut oil (for frying)
- as needed vanilla powdered sugar
Tools
- Stand Mixer
- Pasta Machine manual
- Rolling Pin
- Fluted Pastry Wheel
- Frying Pans
- Paper Towels
- Tray
- Sieve
- Thermometers
Steps to Prepare Sal De Riso’s Chiacchiere
Let’s now see together how to prepare Sal De Riso’s chiacchiere. You can prepare the dough by hand, but I recommend using a stand mixer or Bimby or any kitchen robot for a better result.
In a bowl, beat 3 eggs and weigh 175 grams (6.2 oz). This precision in the weight of the eggs is very important for the success of the recipe.
Place the weighed eggs, sugar, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and the seeds from a vanilla bean (alternatively, you can use a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a sachet of vanillin) in a bowl. Mix the ingredients well to combine.
Then add the flour, followed by the chosen liquor (white wine, Marsala, grappa, Strega, or limoncello) and the grated citrus peels. Work the dough again and finally add the butter.
Knead for a few minutes at medium speed until the dough detaches from the sides of the bowl or the stand mixer bowl. If you decide to prepare the dough by hand, knead it for a long time until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough.
Wrap the dough in some plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
After the resting time, cut the dough into several parts to make it easier to roll out the sheets and chiacchiere.
As already mentioned, I recommend using a pasta machine because the sheet comes out better and thinner. Pass it several times, each time moving to a thinner setting, until you reach the last one, the thinnest.
With a fluted pastry wheel, create chiacchiere in the shape you like best. If you decide to make them square or rectangular, make one or two cuts with the fluted wheel in the center of the chiacchiera: this will allow the moisture to escape faster during cooking, making them bubbly and crispy.
When you’ve finished making all the Sal De Riso’s chiacchiere, proceed to fry them.
Take a thick-bottomed pot and fill it with plenty of peanut oil. Heat it to 340°F-355°F. If you have a kitchen thermometer, it will be easier to know when the oil has reached the right temperature. If you don’t have one, drop a small piece of dough into the oil: when a lot of bubbles form and it rises to the surface, it means the oil is ready.
Fry a few chiacchiere at a time, as they only need a few seconds to cook. When they start to turn golden, lift them with a slotted spoon, drain the oil well, and place them on a rack. You can put paper towels under the rack, not in contact with the chiacchiere. This little trick will allow you to have very crispy and not soggy chiacchiere.
Once you have finished frying, place your Sal De Riso’s chiacchiere on a tray, dust them with powdered sugar, and serve. They are irresistibly delicious!
Storing Sal De Riso’s Chiacchiere
– Sal De Riso’s chiacchiere can be stored in a tin or in a well-sealed container. They keep well for 4-5 days. To prevent them from becoming soggy, I recommend dusting them with powdered sugar only when you are about to consume them.
FAQ
Can you bake chiacchiere in the oven?
Yes, you can bake them in a convection oven at 390°F for about 5 minutes, depending on your oven. As soon as they turn golden, take them out of the oven, let them cool, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Can the liquor in chiacchiere be omitted?
It is not advisable because the alcohol contained in the liquor or white wine evaporates very quickly during cooking, thereby helping to form bubbles on the surface of the chiacchiere.
